


Leave it on the track

by HaughtScot



Category: Wynonna Earp - Fandom
Genre: AU, F/F, Rivals, Roller Derby, Wayhaught - Freeform, because why not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2019-11-29 11:51:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18222773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaughtScot/pseuds/HaughtScot
Summary: A WayHaught roller derby AU, because why not? Nicole Haught is a star skater who always keeps a cool head on track - until a rival gets under her skin...





	1. The rival

**Author's Note:**

> So they say write about what you know about, right? I’ve written about Edinburgh, so my next favourite topic is roller derby! I played and coached for six years and it seemed that a WayHaught as rival skaters fic could be fun. This may be a one-shot or there may be more... See the end for some explanation of roller derby that might make this make more sense...

Nicole focused intently on the figure bearing down on her, bracing herself for the impact she knew was coming. She moved backwards a little as she dropped into a defensive stance just as her adversary barrelled into her, shoulder first. Nicole exhaled sharply, feeling the breath leave her body, but held on to absorb the hit and, still moving backwards, threw her own shoulder into her opponent, sending them sprawling on the floor. 

At that, a whistle blew and the coach called, “Good job Haught. Take a break, everyone.” 

Nicole held out a hand to the woman still on the floor and pulled her to her feet before they skated to the centre of the track together. While their coach reviewed the drill they’d just finished, Nicole sat down and took her helmet off, using her forearm to wipe the sweat from her face. She took a long drink from her bottle of water, snapped her helmet back on and got back to her feet, ready to go for the next drill. 

An hour later, she was in the locker room, packing up her gear and listening to the playful banter of her teammates. She would usually join in but tonight she was exhausted, too tired to do much more than pull a hoodie and her running shoes on, say goodbye to everyone and head out into the night. 

She threw her kit bag into the back of her car and slumped in the driver’s seat. She took a moment to gather herself before starting her car and heading for home. Despite the ache already settling in to her muscles, and the tiredness that came from going from a full shift straight into training, she felt good. 

For the past three years, roller derby had been her escape and her stress relief. Through her time at the Academy and her first years on the job, she had come to rely on it as the best way of blowing off steam. 

And she was good at it. Really good. 

She laughed now to look back at how hopeless she’d been when she started, barely able to stay upright for more than a minute at a time. She had gone along to her first session expecting to strap on her skates and zoom off straight away, armed with all those winters’ worth of skating experience. She soon found out that, to her at least, roller skates bore little relation to ice skates, and she resembled a long-legged Bambi on ice. 

Nicole Haught was not a quitter though. She threw herself with characteristic determination into mastering the skills she needed, and learned to use her height to her advantage. Eventually she excelled as a blocker and usually a pivot; she possessed a cool head and a calming presence that made her a natural leader on track. She worked her way up through the teams and had been a permanent fixture on the travel team roster for the last year. 

What she hadn’t expected when she joined the league was to find a community. As a grassroots sports team, everyone contributed in as many ways as they could, and Nicole loved the camaraderie they built up. 

As a young, openly gay woman in a male-dominated job, she often felt that she was always fighting to be included. When it came to roller derby, she was accepted, with no questions, just as she was. 

When she entered her apartment, she dropped her kit bag just inside the door and headed straight for the kitchen to fill her cat’s food dish. That was usually the cue for Calamity Jane to rush in from wherever she’d been, butting her head into Nicole’s hands as she tried to fill the bowls. 

There was no sign of her tonight though; at least, not until Nicole went to pick up her bag and found the large orange fluff ball trying to poke her face into the gap where she hadn’t zipped it properly. 

Nicole reached down to scoop her up and said, “There you are. Everyone hates the derby stank apart from you. Weirdo.” She fixed herself something to eat, had a shower and was sound asleep minutes after crawling into bed. 

Friday night saw Nicole hurrying into her team’s venue, starting to fill up already for that night’s game against their local rivals, the Devils. It wasn’t ideal, coming straight from a shift to play, but she knew she was lucky to be able to fit in as much training and as many games around her work patterns. 

She was rushing to the locker room when she rounded a corner and felt the force of another body colliding with hers. She stumbled back a step but managed not to lose her balance. She did, however, lose the smoothie she’d been clutching in one hand. She lost it all down her front, the thick green liquid quickly soaking into her shirt, and she could feel several splashes on her face. 

“Shit!” she exclaimed, taking in the mess before looking up and locking eyes with possibly the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. Almost a head shorter than her, with wavy light brown hair loose over her shoulders, and hazel eyes currently full of mirth. 

Of course she had to be covered in what amounted to green slime, when she came face to face with this vision. 

The other woman was biting her lip, obviously trying not to laugh, and Nicole grumbled, “I’m glad someone thinks this is funny.” 

“Hey, it’s not my fault you weren’t looking where you were going.” 

“You ran into me!” Nicole exclaimed, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. 

“Other way round, I think. I was just walking here,” the shorter woman said defiantly, all traces of amusement gone. 

Nicole took a deep, calming breath and said, “Fine. Whatever. I need to get this cleaned up.” 

“Try not to knock anyone over on the way,” the other woman retorted and brushed past Nicole, who looked after her for a second before shaking her head and going to join her teammates in the locker room. 

Half an hour later, they were all kitted up and running drills on track and Nicole could feel the familiar focus begin to click into place. When they left the track to allow their opponents to warm up, they gathered round their benches to make final preparations and listen to their coach go over their game plan. 

The coach wrapped up by saying, “Watch out for number seventy seven. She’s new but she looks good, fast and strong.” 

Nicole tried to pick her out at the other team’s bench but they were in a huddle and she couldn’t see a number seventy seven. 

Nicole wasn’t on in the first jam so she stood next to the bench with the rest of her line up, talking through their plan. 

When the whistle blew to signal the end of the first jam, in which her team had picked up the first points of the game, they immediately skated to their spots on track. 

Nicole faced the jam line, ready to brace her teammates, and got her first look at the rival jammer. Her long hair was now in a braid but there was no mistaking those hazel eyes staring back at her from under her helmet. 

Nicole was so taken aback that she wasn’t ready for the whistle and before she knew it, the jammer had juked her way around their wall and broken free of the pack quickly. 

Nicole mentally kicked herself and quickly got her teammates together to help their own jammer through, and she went sprinting after number seventy seven. 

When the rival jammer approached this time, Nicole was ready. She manoeuvred her blockers into place and together they held her long enough that she had to call off the jam. 

As they skated back to their respective benches, she brushed past Nicole, bumping her with her shoulder, and Nicole stared after her until her coach called, “Haught! Bench!” 

The next jam on track, Nicole found herself facing off against the same jammer and this time, she caught the name across the back of her shirt: Riot Earp. 

They seemed to be on much the same line up rotation; almost every time Nicole took to the track, the smaller woman was lined up behind the jam line. They also seemed to be fairly evenly matched; Nicole and her teammates holding her several times, and Earp scoring points against them at others. 

Nicole was well used to coming up against tough opponents and she usually relished the challenge. There was something about this small woman with the quick feet, seemingly endless energy and cocky attitude however, that was close to making Nicole lose the cool head she worked so hard to maintain. 

At half time, the score a few points in Nicole’s team’s favour, the line up manager took her aside and said, “I’m going to try to switch up the rotation so you’re not on track with Earp every time.” 

“Why? She’s not scored that much against us.” 

“No, but there’s something else going on. You’ve had three penalties against her, that’s not like you.” 

“She’s fouled against me too,” Nicole protested. 

“Another reason to try to keep you apart. It’s too tight a game, we don’t want to lose you.” 

“Fine,” Nicole grumbled. She wasn’t sure why she was protesting the switch when she knew it was right, the other skater had made her come close to losing control a couple of times. 

The change in rotations worked for the most part and by the final five minutes of the game, Nicole had only faced her new rival twice. She couldn’t help seeking her out while she was standing at her bench though, and she couldn’t help but admire her skill and strength as she jumped and juked her way around her opponents. 

That skill played no small part in keeping the scores close right through the second half until only two points separated the teams with one jam left to play. As Nicole skated on track to take her place with her teammates, she wasn’t surprised to see Riot Earp behind the jam line; it felt almost inevitable. 

Nicole felt the adrenaline coursing through her; the outcome of the game came down to this jam and how well they could hold this jammer. 

She tried to tune out the growing noise from the crowd and focus just on the small woman about to launch herself towards her. Nicole and her teammates executed their plan to perfection and for the first minute of the jam they held the jammer back, despite her best efforts. 

Their jammer was also being held however, so Nicole went to try to clear a path through for her. 

From the corner of her eye, she saw the other jammer finally break free, and made the split second decision give chase. She pushed as hard as she could to catch the faster skater and made a last-ditch attempt to stop her, timing the hit perfectly to send her opponent off track and to the floor. 

By the time she’d picked herself up to rejoin the game, the seconds had ticked down and the whistles sounded to signal the end of the game, and a win for Nicole’s team. 

Nicole shared congratulatory hugs with her teammates on track and commiserated with their opponents. She noticed number seventy seven standing off to the side on her own, staring fixedly at the floor, and, taking a deep breath, skated over to her. 

She glanced up when Nicole skidded to a stop next to her, and looked away again with a scowl. Nicole immediately felt bad. 

“Hey, uh, great game,” Nicole offered, holding out her hand. 

“Are you here to gloat?” she snapped. 

“Not at all, I mean it. You were awesome,” Nicole told her sincerely. 

“But you were better. Well done,” she said grudgingly, then turned and skated away. 

Nicole stared after her, puzzled by her reaction, before one of her teammates dragged her back to the bench to be congratulated again. 

Back in the locker room, everyone was talking excitedly, and loudly, about the game, going over plays and points, and looking forward to the afterparty. 

“Hey Haught, are you gracing us with your presence tonight?” shouted one of her teammates from across the room. 

“You’re in luck Malice, I have a day off tomorrow so I’m there.” 

“Hell yeah! I’m buying you a beer for that game winning hit,” she cheered. 

Half an hour later, both teams had gathered in Shorty’s, their regular afterparty venue, and the atmosphere was already raucous as the adrenaline of the game mixed with alcohol, and on-track rivals partied as friends. 

Nicole didn’t often get to join in the parties thanks to the demands of her job, so she enjoyed the chance to unwind with her teammates and celebrate a great game. As promised, several of her teammates bought her drinks and she moved around the room, joining different groups but not seeing Riot Earp amongst any of them. 

Not that she was looking. Not really. 

She had just collected a couple of drinks from the bar when she turned around and walked straight into another person. It was, of course, the same woman as before, but this time, she bore the brunt of the spills. 

She looked down at the stain spreading across her white top, then up at Nicole. 

“You have got to be shitting me,” she muttered darkly. 

“Oops,” Nicole offered with an apologetic smile. 

When she received only a glare in return, she tried again. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you were behind me. Call it even?” 

“Were you just waiting to do that?” 

“Yes, I’ve been hanging around here all night waiting to pour a drink on you,” Nicole said with an eye roll. 

When the other woman went to walk away, Nicole reached out to touch her arm. 

“Wait. Can I buy you a drink to say sorry?” 

She considered for a moment then replied, “You’d better. I’ll be back in a minute.” 

Nicole saw that she was about to head through to the back room behind the bar, and called, “I don’t think you’re allowed back there, Earp.” 

“I work here,” she shot back, as she pushed through the door and disappeared from sight. 

When she reappeared moments later, she was wearing a crop top that had Nicole fighting to keep her eyes on her face and not the tanned, toned skin now on display. 

Nicole slid a beer and a shot across the bar towards her, and in response to her questioning look, she said, “I didn’t know what you wanted.” 

“Both will do,” she replied, throwing back the shot and following it up with a gulp of beer. 

“So what do I call you? Riot? Earp?” Nicole asked, taking a long drink of her own beer. 

“Neither. I’m Waverly.” 

“Waverly? That’s pretty. Uh, so are you a Wild West fan, with the Earp?” 

“I am an Earp, Wyatt Earp was actually my great great grandfather.” 

“Seriously? Wow, that’s so cool. That’s a great story behind your name.” 

“What about your name? Who calls themselves Hot?” Waverly scoffed. 

“Well, it’s actually my name, so I do,” Nicole told her. 

“Your name is Hot?” 

“H-A-U-G-H-T,” she spelled out, “I thought you would have seen that considering how much time you spent stuck behind me in the game.” 

Waverly glared at her for a moment, then her expression softened and she laughed. 

“Fine. You saw plenty of my back too.” 

“It was quite a view,” Nicole chanced a wink, and was gratified when Waverly laughed again. 

“Smooth. So no derby name?” 

Nicole shrugged, “I’ve heard every pun and variation on my name so I thought I’d keep it simple.” 

“That shows a distinct lack of imagination,” Waverly teased. 

“Hey, I’ve got plenty of imagination,” Nicole protested, but thought it wise to keep exactly what she was imagining to herself. 

“So what’s your name, Haught?” 

“I’m Nicole. It’s nice to meet you, Waverly Earp,” Nicole smiled, holding out her hand, which Waverly shook this time. 

“You too, Nicole Haught.” 

They sipped their beers in silence for a moment before Waverly spoke up, “I’m sorry about earlier.” 

“For spilling my smoothie?” 

“No, that one was all you. After the game, you were being nice and I was rude to you,” Waverly smiled apologetically. 

“Yeah, you were. I get it though, it was a pretty intense end to the game.” 

“I shouldn’t have been such a sore loser though. It’s just, it was my first game with the Devils and I so wanted to win. Losing it in the last jam was tough,” she admitted. 

“I wasn’t just trying to make you feel better earlier, you really were awesome. I’m sure your team was impressed. I know I was.” 

Nicole felt her stomach flip at the beautiful, genuine smile that spread across Waverly’s face, and she could do nothing but grin in return. 

They continued to chat until they were pulled back to join in a drinking game their teammates had set up, but Nicole couldn’t help sneaking glances at Waverly. 

She had already decided to ask for her number; she just had to find her moment. And work up the courage. 

When she saw Waverly pull on a jacket and gather her things to leave, she knew she had to do it then, right moment or not. 

She managed to intercept Waverly on her way to the door, and said, “Calling it a night?” 

“Yeah, these drinking games are going to go on all night, and I won’t.” 

“They’re only getting worse. I, uh, I had fun talking to you tonight.” 

“Me too. You didn’t have to pour your drinks over me to have an excuse though,” Waverly smiled. 

“Maybe we could do it again sometime?” Nicole suggested hopefully. 

“Sure. Next afterparty, I’ll even buy you a drink. See you on track, Haught,” Waverly said with a wink, and turned to leave. 

Nicole stood on the spot, cursing herself for her indecision, then muttered to herself, “Fuck it,” and ran outside. 

“Waverly, wait,” she called to the retreating figure. She turned around and Nicole stepped closer. 

“I don’t want to wait until the next afterparty. Can I have your number?” 

Waverly took another step closer and said, “You’ve kind of ruined this now.” 

Nicole looked at her, puzzled, and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean... if you don’t want to, it’s fine.” 

“It’s in your pocket,” she whispered. 

Still confused, Nicole reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a napkin, across which was written in a loopy hand, “Waverly” and a phone number. 

“When did you...?” 

“I’m a sneaky jammer, remember?” 

“You sure are,” Nicole replied in a low voice, as she leaned in until their faces were just inches apart. She saw Waverly’s eyes flit down to her lips before she met her gaze again. She moved even closer but at the last second brushed her lips across Waverly’s cheek and whispered, “See you, Earp.”


	2. The technique

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haught and Earp hang out, and face off on track once again. Nicole finds out how competitive Waverly really is...

Two weeks later, Nicole and Waverly were on their second date. Busy schedules, Nicole’s shifts and Waverly splitting her time between her final year of college and working in Shorty’s, had limited them to one coffee date and a lot of increasingly flirty texts. They had finally managed to coordinate a free evening together and met in a bar close to Waverly’s apartment. 

Once they’d settled down in a booth with their drinks and caught up on how their respective days had gone, Nicole asked, “So how did you get into roller derby?” 

“Same as anyone, I suppose, the glamour, the bruises, the smell...” Waverly joked. 

“Oh of course, those are the main reasons anyone would.” 

“I also started because I was looking for something new. I’d recently moved to the city from my tiny hometown and wanted to try something different.” 

“What’s your hometown like?” 

“Everyone has known each other all their lives. Literally. To say the big city was a culture shock is putting it lightly, but derby ended up being a good way of meeting people. How about you?” Waverly asked. 

“Similar, I was at the Academy but I didn’t really know anyone outside of that. It seemed a good way of letting off steam too. It didn’t take long to fall in love with it, and the community. Even though I was terrible to start,” Nicole laughed at herself. 

“Really? But you’re so good now.” 

“Thanks. That took a long time though, I nearly gave up a couple of times but that’s never been in my nature. I bet you were great from the start, right?” she teased. 

“Well, not to boast, but pretty much, yeah” Waverly laughed. 

“I knew it. You can’t teach that natural grace.” 

“Graceful, eh? I was aiming for badass, but I’ll take that.” 

“There’s plenty badass too, I still have bruises from playing against you,” Nicole complained. 

“Snap. You should have seen the bruise on my ass from when you knocked me down at the end.” 

“I can’t believe you didn’t show me,” Nicole pretended to be indignant as Waverly laughed and slapped her arm. 

“Yeah, you wish,” she leaned closer and whispered, “Maybe next time though.” 

“Next time? You should come to our open scrimmage on Friday then. Anyone can come along to play, it’s always fun. And maybe we could go out afterwards?” Nicole suggested. 

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’m going to make sure I knock you flat this time though,” Waverly promised with a grin. 

“You can try. Or maybe we’ll get to play on the same team this time.” 

“I’m pretty sure we’re already playing for the same team,” Waverly smirked, and Nicole threw her head back and laughed. 

After a few more drinks and a lot more conversation, they had to call it a night, thanks to an early start for Nicole, and she offered to walk Waverly the short distance to her apartment. 

“You don’t need to, you know. I can look after myself,” Waverly told her as they left the bar. 

“I don’t doubt that at all. I just want to, if that’s okay with you.” 

“Well, in that case...” Waverly smiled as she looped her arm through Nicole’s and pulled her in the direction of her apartment. 

Nicole enjoyed the feeling of the younger woman snuggling against her as they walked, but all too soon they had arrived at her building’s door. 

“Okay, so Friday? I can pick you up on the way, if you like?” Nicole offered. 

“Sure, thanks. And we’ll go out afterwards?” 

“I’d like that.” 

They were silent for a moment, waiting for someone to make the first move, before Nicole said quietly, “I’d also like to kiss you.” 

Waverly gave her a soft smile in return and said, “I hope you’re not talking about Friday because I’d really like you to kiss me now.” 

Nicole quickly closed the remaining distance between them; she cupped the perfect line of Waverly’s jaw with one hand and pressed a gentle kiss to her waiting lips. 

She moved to draw away after a moment but Waverly wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in even closer, her lips moving more urgently against her own. Waverly broke away just long enough to fumble open the door behind her and pull Nicole inside. “More private,” Waverly mumbled between kisses as she backed Nicole against the wall. 

Nicole wrapped her arms around the shorter woman’s waist and felt her melt against her body as their kisses deepened. Nicole finally pulled back, her head spinning, and drew in a ragged breath. 

“Upstairs?” Waverly asked, her breath tickling Nicole’s neck. 

“I want to. I really, really want to, but I have to be up in about five hours,” Nicole groaned, unwilling to let go of the woman in her arms. 

“Well, if you really have to go,” Waverly pouted, and Nicole’s resolve almost broke. 

She touched her forehead to Waverly’s and breathed, “I’m sorry, I do. You’re making it really hard to leave though.” 

“That was kind of the point. But you’d better, you’ve got a city to protect tomorrow after all.” 

Nicole laughed and said, “Sure do. I’ll see you on Friday, okay?” 

With a final kiss, they said goodbye. Nicole considered herself a practical, down-to-earth kind of person; she wasn’t given to flights of fancy, but as she walked home, she would have sworn that her feet didn’t touch the ground. 

When she arrived with Waverly for Friday night’s scrimmage, Nicole couldn’t fail to spot the curious looks they received from from a couple of her teammates, and she knew she’d be in for some questions about it, at the least. 

Sure enough, as soon as Waverly had gone to fill their water bottles, one of the other women sat on the bench next to Nicole. 

“What’s up, Haught? You’re friends with the Devils’ star player now?” 

Nicole shrugged. “We got talking at Shorty’s after the last game. We’ve hung out a bit,” she tried to sound casual but her friend wasn’t fooled. 

“Oh, like that? Never thought you’d be sleeping with the enemy,” she teased. 

“She just skates with another team Wrath, she’s hardly the enemy,” Nicole scoffed. 

“Remember that when you’re too busy giving her heart eyes on track to stop her passing you.” 

When Nicole and Waverly had both kitted up, they headed out on to the track to warm up together. Nicole couldn’t help but watch as Waverly stretched gracefully then took off at a sprint, coming back around quickly to catch up with Nicole again. 

“Are you staring at me?” she asked with a cocky grin. 

“Just checking out your, uh, technique,” Nicole smirked back. 

“Keep watching, you might learn something.” 

Waverly took off again, leaving Nicole laughing at her rapidly retreating figure, “So cocky.” 

When the teams were picked randomly, Nicole found herself on the opposite side to Waverly again, and although she would have preferred to play with instead of against her this time, she didn’t say anything. 

Nicole usually liked to use their open scrimmage to try new things, tactics she’d been working on in training that she wasn’t confident enough to try in games yet, but tonight, it seemed like nothing she tried when Waverly was jamming worked. Several times, she was left rooted to the spot as Waverly danced around her, and once she managed to fulfil her promise to knock Nicole flat, sending her sprawling to the floor. 

By the end of the first half, most of her teammates had noticed, making Nicole even more conscious of it. As she skated out of the hall to get more water, she passed Wrath, who was skating on the same team as Waverly, and she called, “Keep up the heart eyes, they’re doing great for us.” 

“Knock it off, I was just getting warmed up,” Nicole grumbled as she pushed through the double doors out of the hall. 

She soon realised she wasn’t alone; Waverly was filling her bottle from the water cooler. Nicole skated up and asked, “Having fun?” 

“Yeah, but you don’t need to go easy on me to make sure I am,” Waverly told her. 

“What? I wasn’t...” Nicole trailed off as Waverly glared at her. 

“Come on, you barely touched me and I know that’s not your style. Don’t hold back because you think I can’t take it.” 

“I know you can, I just haven’t been able to get near you this time. You’re too quick.” 

“And don’t patronise me either. Play against me properly,” Waverly challenged, getting into Nicole’s space. 

“Fine. No holding back.” 

“Good,” Waverly said sharply as she skated past a confused Nicole and back into the hall. 

The first time they came up against each other in the second half, Nicole hesitated before going in for a hit on Waverly and it cost them both as she accidentally tripped her, sending her crashing to the floor. 

She took a moment before getting up but Nicole was already on her way to the penalty box and didn’t get a chance to check she was okay. She rejoined the jam just before it ended and as soon as the whistle blew she sought out Waverly. 

“Are you okay?” 

“I know I said don’t go easy, but that was a bit much,” Waverly snapped. 

“I’m sorry, it was an accident...” Nicole apologised as Waverly turned and skated back to her bench. 

For the rest of the game, Nicole tried to focus and to see Waverly just as any other jammer, and was, for the most part, successful. She even jammed against her towards the end, a position Nicole didn’t often take, but as a regular pivot, had to practice. Nicole racked up some points for her team but Waverly scored more, and as they passed each other coming off track, Waverly offered her a conciliatory smile and a high five. 

Back in the locker room afterwards, Waverly seemed to be in good spirits, laughing and joining in the banter, but Nicole wasn’t sure it had been a good idea to invite her along. When Nicole finished packed away her kit, she realised that Waverly was no longer in the locker room, so she left in search of her. 

She finally found her out in the parking lot, leaning against Nicole’s car. 

“Everything okay?” Nicole asked, warily. 

“Yeah, I was just ready to leave. Can we go?” 

“Sure,” Nicole agreed, unlocking the trunk so they could throw their bags in. When they’d settled in the car, Nicole turned to Waverly and asked, “Are you mad at me?” 

“Why would I be?” 

“You tell me. You were earlier,” Nicole pointed out. 

“Because you were being patronising, and then you wiped me out.” 

“That was an accident. But you told me not to hold back and sometimes that’s what happens. I don’t know what you wanted me to do.” 

“I wanted you to take me seriously.” 

“I do. I went full out against you and you beat me.” 

“I did enjoy that part,” Waverly replied with a sudden grin. 

“So as long as I go all in and you still win, we’re good?” Nicole asked with a wry smile. 

“Now you get it,” Waverly smirked. 

“So competitive. So what do you want to do now?” 

“Can you take me home?” Waverly asked, and Nicole tried not to let her disappointment show. 

“Okay. Sorry tonight didn’t really work out, it’s not how I wanted it to go.” 

“Really? It’s exactly what I wanted. I want you to take me home with you,” Waverly held her gaze as she laid her hand on Nicole’s thigh. 

“Oh. Right, okay, we can definitely do that,” was Nicole’s flustered reply, and she could tell Waverly was trying not to laugh at her. Somehow, she didn’t care. 

When they arrived at Nicole’s apartment, they hurried inside and the door had barely closed behind them before they were drawn together in a heated kiss. 

Suddenly Waverly pulled back with a yelp, staring down at the floor. 

“What’s wrong?” Nicole was immediately concerned. 

“Your cat, just brushed past my leg and I got a fright,” Waverly admitted sheepishly. 

Nicole followed her gaze to the floor, where a disgruntled Calamity was looking at her, tail swishing. 

“Oh, I should have warned you about her. This is Calamity Jane,” Nicole told her as she headed to the kitchen to fill the cat’s food bowl, both Calamity and Waverly following behind. 

When the cat was absorbed in her food, Nicole turned to Waverly and asked, “Can I get you anything? A drink, something to eat?” 

“A beer maybe?” 

Nicole took two bottles from the fridge and opened both before handing one to Waverly. She took a long drink from her beer, eyes never leaving the other woman as she did the same. 

“Still staring?” Waverly raised an eyebrow. 

“Still checking out that technique,” Nicole smiled back, taking a step closer, and continuing, “I wasn’t lying earlier, I really wasn’t going easy on you. I guess you were just very distracting.” 

“So smooth, Haught,” Waverly chuckled as she put her beer down on the worktop and reached for Nicole, stroking her hands down her arms. Nicole drained her beer and put her own bottle down before surprising Waverly by pulling her close and lifting her up onto the worktop. 

Waverly ran her hands through Nicole’s hair, one hand reaching round to tilt her chin up and bring her into a kiss that started out sweet and soon turned urgent and needy. Nicole ran her tongue along Waverly’s top lip and was readily granted entrance, a small moan escaping the back of her throat. 

Waverly tugged at her hair until she broke the kiss, and demanded, “Bedroom.” 

“You sure?” Nicole checked, even as her stomach flipped. 

“Positive. I want you,” Waverly trailed a line of kisses along her jaw to her ear, “right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading once again, not dropping hints but comments are great! 
> 
> I see a rating bump in the next chapter...
> 
> As a skater, I was a bit of a Waverly - Don’t patronise me by taking it easy, but ow, there’s no need to hit me that hard!
> 
> I’m @HaughtToScot on Twitter 😊


	3. The deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is mostly just smut, so if that’s not your thing, you might want to skip to the end, or wait for the next chapter when roller derby action will return (along with some plot, maybe)...

They crashed through the door into Nicole’s bedroom, unwilling to break their kiss as hands pulled roughly at each other’s clothes. Nicole backed them towards her bed before it caught the back of her legs and she collapsed onto it, bringing Waverly down with her. 

With one had planted firmly on either side of Nicole’s head, Waverly captured her mouth in a kiss that Nicole felt in every part of her body. Nicole ran her hands up the other woman’s back, gliding against the soft skin under her top until Waverly sat up and pulled the garment the rest of the way over her head. 

Nicole took the opportunity to divest herself of her own shirt, throwing it to the side of the bed and pulling Waverly back down into a deep kiss, tongues searching and seeking. 

Waverly began to kiss her way down Nicole’s neck, nipping lightly at her collarbone, making her shiver in pleasure and in anticipation. She continued her path down across her chest until she met the fabric of her sports bra, and tried to pull it away from her body. She tugged at the material to no avail then tried to pull down a strap, with as little luck. “God... damn... sports bras,” she huffed, frustrated, and Nicole couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Wait, let me,” she smiled, as she moved into a sitting position and, with no little effort, wrestled the offending bra over her head. She pushed the hair back from her face and looked at Waverly, to catch her staring at her body, eyes dark. She reached for her, one arm sneaking around her back to rest on the clasp of her bra. At Waverly’s nod of permission, she unclasped it with a deft movement, and held her breath as Waverly shrugged it off. 

Nicole allowed her eyes to drop, shamelessly, to the newly revealed skin, and trailed her hand back around until it was cupping the warm, firm swell of her breast, nipple already hardening under her touch. 

Waverly threw her head back and exhaled sharply as her fingers continued to explore, and Nicole leaned forward to press a kiss to the hollow of her throat, allowing her teeth to scrape lightly against the sensitive skin. 

Waverly let out a low moan and pulled herself closer, settling more fully into Nicole’s lap and grinding down into her hips. When their chests pressed together, they both gasped and where their hips met, Nicole could feel nothing but pure heat. 

She reached between their bodies to cup Waverly through her clothes and was met with heat and a roll of her hips. 

“Too many clothes,” she almost growled as Waverly pushed herself even closer, brushing her nipples tantalisingly close to her own. Waverly nodded fervently as she raised herself off Nicole and stood from the bed to hurriedly pull off her leggings and underwear and throw them aside. 

Nicole struggled to remove her trousers, fighting with them as one leg stuck around her foot. 

“Oh for fu...” Her frustrated moan was cut off by Waverly pulling them the rest of the way off for her and falling back to the bed next to her. 

They looked at each other for a moment before they both laughed, breaking the tension that had built between them. 

“Should we slow this down a bit?” Nicole asked, when they’d had a chance to catch their breath. 

“You want to slow this down now that we’re naked?” 

“I didn’t say I wanted to...” Nicole propped herself up on one elbow and ran a finger from Waverly’s collarbone down her torso, stopping just short of the neatly trimmed hair at the apex of her thighs. 

“Good, because I don’t want to either,” Waverly said throatily, then surged up to meet Nicole in a messy kiss, all teeth and tongues. 

Nicole moved her hand lower to meet silken heat and a pool of arousal that had them both moaning. She used it to glide her fingers from Waverly’s entrance up to her clit, ghosting lightly over the sensitive flesh and denying her the contact that she so desperately craved, if the way she rolled her hips up into her hand was any indication. 

“Right there, Nicole, I need you to touch me,” she panted out then groaned in frustration as Nicole once again moved her fingers away from her clit to tease around her entrance. She slid her index finger inside, revelling in the feeling, and asked, “Is this what you need?” 

“More,” Waverly demanded, and Nicole added her middle finger, burying both deep inside in one motion. 

Waverly cried out and Nicole stilled, worried she’d hurt her, but the clenching of tight walls around her fingers and the look of pure desire that Waverly gave her urged her on. She started to move, slowly at first, pumping her fingers into the delicious velvety heat, curling them slightly in a way that made Waverly’s thighs tremble. 

“God you’re good at that. Don’t stop,” Waverly breathed, tangling a hand in Nicole’s hair and gripping her shoulder with the other. 

Nicole increased her efforts, throwing more weight behind each thrust and using the heel of her hand to press against her clit on each thrust. 

“Still with me?” she panted out, pulling back a little to look at Waverly’s face, shining and beautiful. 

“I’m so close Nicole, keep going. So close.” 

After several more deep thrusts, Nicole could feel the fluttering and clenching around her fingers, and she pressed against Waverly’s clit as she sought out the spot that would have her tumbling over. Nicole felt the other woman tense completely for a moment, and then she was mumbling and moaning, fingers digging almost painfully into Nicole’s shoulder as she came with a shudder that passed through her entire body. 

Nicole eased off the pressure on her clit but continued to gently stroke her fingers as she felt the trembling gradually subside. 

Waverly let go of her shoulder and collapsed back on the bed, a blissful smile on her face as she slowly blinked up at Nicole. Nicole carefully eased her fingers out and, maintaining eye contact with the woman below her, she raised her hand to her mouth and sucked them, relishing the first taste of Waverly. 

Waverly’s eyes grew wide and she breathed, “Fuck, you’re so sexy.” 

Nicole leaned forward from her position straddling her hips, and planted a hand on each side of Waverly’s head, lowering until their faces were just inches apart. 

“Watching you, feeling you come, that was one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen,” she whispered. 

She saw the blush spread from Waverly’s chest, colouring her cheeks, and she leaned down to draw her into a slow, deep kiss which sent a throb of desire straight to her centre. 

As if Waverly sensed it, she snaked her arm between them to cup Nicole’s breast, gently pinching her nipple between her fingers and thumb and earned a gasp from Nicole. With her other hand, she traced a pattern across her stomach, making the muscles jump under her fingertips, before finally reaching where Nicole was craving her touch the most. 

Nicole could feel how wet she already was, and she moaned into Waverly’s mouth when she felt deft fingers start to explore her gently. Nicole pushed back into her hand, seeking more contact, and Waverly pulled away from their kiss to smirk up at her. 

“Someone’s keen.” 

“This is what you do to me, Waverly. Don’t tease,” Nicole wasn’t even embarrassed at the pleading tone that had crept into her voice, she just knew that she needed Waverly to touch her. 

In response, Waverly began to wriggle her way down the bed, working herself further between Nicole’s legs. 

“Waves, what are you doing?” Nicole asked as she watched her. 

“What do you think? I want to taste you,” Waverly shot her a devilish smile, and Nicole swallowed thickly, closing her eyes and trying to slow her racing heart. 

“If that’s okay with you?” Waverly checked when Nicole didn’t move. 

Nicole let out a shaky laugh. “Okay? Yeah, I think I can deal with that.” 

“Good. Then get up here before I fall off the bed.” She tapped Nicole on the hip to encourage her to move, and Nicole crawled forward until she was hovering close to Waverly’s face. She looked down into Waverly’s warm hazel eyes as she wrapped her arms around Nicole’s hips and pulled her down gently until her mouth finally, finally made contact with her aching centre. 

Nicole bit back a groan and tried not to push down onto Waverly’s mouth as she used her tongue to explore her folds. She drew a delicate line around her entrance and up to her clit before flattening her tongue and licking the path she’d just drawn. 

“Oh God, Waves... that feels so good,” Nicole managed to get out through panted breaths. 

Waverly hummed in response and Nicole felt it through every part of her body; it was all she could do not to collapse on her. 

Waverly continued her ministrations, dipping the point of her tongue into Nicole’s entrance then spreading the arousal that she gathered up to her clit. She wrapped her lips around the sensitive bud and sucked gently, and Nicole bit her lip to stop from crying out. 

“Shit Waves, I’m so close.” 

Waverly tilted her head back to look up at Nicole and command, “Come for me,” before pulling her more firmly against her face and pushing her tongue inside as far as she could. 

Nicole felt like Waverly’s mouth was everywhere at once, and she could feel the knot of tension low in her stomach about to unravel. She dropped her head to her chest and ground shamelessly against Waverly’s face, so lost in the moment she wasn’t even aware of the noises she was making. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she chanted breathlessly as she reached her peak; white spots danced across her vision as Waverly continued to lap at her gently, helping her to come down from her high. 

When she’d come back to herself, she rolled off to the side and flopped onto her back, still breathing heavily. 

Waverly turned over and crawled up her body, whispering, “You taste amazing.” 

She leaned over to kiss Nicole again, licking into her mouth so she could taste herself. 

“Holy shit Waverly. I think I blacked out there,” Nicole chuckled weakly. 

“I sensed you were enjoying yourself,” Waverly laughed lightly as she settled into Nicole’s side, resting her head on her chest and draping an arm across her stomach. 

“Getting comfy there?” Nicole smiled as she ran a hand through Waverly’s disheveled hair, smoothing it away from her face. 

“Mmm, yeah, feels nice. Just need a blanket,” she stifled a yawn as she spoke. 

Without moving too much, between them they managed to manoeuvre the sheet and blanket over both of them. Nicole tucked it more firmly around Waverly as they settled more comfortably, and they chatted idly until they both fell asleep. 

Nicole came to with a start in the morning as she felt a thump on the bed near her feet, and opened her eyes to see Calamity Jane staring at her. 

“Okay girl, I get it. Give me a minute.” 

She gently lifted the still-sleeping Waverly’s arm and slid out of bed, pulling on a shirt before heading to the kitchen to feed the cat. 

When she returned to the bedroom five minutes later, Waverly was just stirring so she crawled back into bed next to her. Without opening her eyes, Waverly burrowed back into her arms and mumbled, “Morning.” 

“Good morning, sunshine,” Nicole teased, stroking her fingers gently across her cheek. Waverly opened her eyes and tilted her face up to receive the chaste kiss that Nicole planted on her lips. 

Waverly sighed contentedly, then wrinkled her nose as she looked around. 

“Yeah, it doesn’t smell too great in here, does it?” Nicole acknowledged with a grimace. 

“I need a shower. So do you,” Waverly told her, making a face. 

“That’s what happens when you don’t shower after derby. And, of course, all the hot, sweaty, sex,” Nicole grinned cockily, throwing a leg over Waverly’s to keep her close, then laughing as the other woman pushed her away. 

“Okay, okay. Why don’t you jump in the shower and I’ll get these sheets in the wash and make a start on breakfast?” 

“When do you have to go to work?” 

“Not until four. We can hang out for a while if you want?” 

“Only if you do shower,” Waverly laughed, rolling out of bed and standing up to stretch in one smooth movement. 

Nicole took a moment to appreciate all the firm muscle and soft curves on display, and when Waverly caught her staring, she just shrugged and smiled, “You’re beautiful.” 

Waverly walked over to press a sweet kiss to her lips and say, “So are you. Even if you stink.” 

“Ouch. Beautiful, but cruel,” Nicole laughed, giving her a push towards the bathroom. 

Waverly ended up staying for the rest of the day, hanging out and playing with Calamity as Nicole did a few chores around the apartment. 

Nicole offered to drop Waverly off at home before she had to start her shift, so she went to change into her uniform. She came out of her bedroom fully dressed, clipping her belt, to find Waverly staring at her. 

“Whoa,” she said, under her breath. 

“What is it?” Nicole asked, walking over to her. 

“Just, uh, I just realised I haven’t seen you in your uniform before,” Waverly replied as she ran her gaze up and down Nicole’s body. 

“Wait, do you have a thing for uniforms?” Nicole smiled, stepping closer to place her hands on Waverly’s waist. 

“Not until now. And just this uniform. And just you in it,” Waverly’s hands came up to fiddle with the collar of Nicole’s shirt, and she pulled her down into a heated kiss. 

When they broke apart, both a little breathless, Nicole rested her forehead against Waverly’s and said regretfully, “Unfortunately, being in this uniform, means I have to go to work.” 

“Fine, go be all sexy cop,” Waverly pouted, but she let go of Nicole. 

On the drive to Waverly’s apartment, Nicole asked, “Oh, hey, are you going to Team Canada tryouts in a couple of weeks?” 

Waverly laughed, “For the World Cup? Yeah, right.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because that’s for all the top skaters. There’s no way I’m that good,” Waverly shrugged. 

“Of course you are. Seriously, you’re one of the best I’ve ever played against,” Nicole told her honestly. 

“Sure, I bet you say that to all the skaters you get into bed,” Waverly joked with an eye roll. 

“Hey! I don’t make a habit of this, you know,” Nicole felt a little wounded, even though she knew she meant it as a joke. 

“Okay. Sorry,” she offered a contrite smile and a squeeze of her thigh, “so are you going?” 

“Nah, I probably wouldn’t make it through the first round.” 

Waverly looked at her incredulously. “Are you kidding? If I’m good enough, you definitely are.” 

“I doubt it. How about this - if you go, I’ll go?” Nicole suggested. 

“Seriously? I still don’t think I’ve got a chance, but we could be each other’s moral support,” Waverly seemed to be coming round to the idea. 

“That’s the plan. And if everyone else is intimidatingly good, we can hide in the corner together?” 

“Most of my team are going and I’ve been saying no way. You’ve persuaded me in a couple of minutes,” Waverly laughed. 

“Because none of them offered to hide in a corner with you. My team are all going too. I’ll put my name in for it today, if you will too?” 

“I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this, but okay. If it’s a huge embarrassment though, you owe me.” 

“Deal. I can probably think of a way to make it up to you,” Nicole smirked, eyebrows raised. 

After she dropped Waverly at her apartment, Nicole drove on to work, thinking about how readily she’d suggested going to tryouts with Waverly when she’d been refusing her teammates for weeks. More than that, she wondered how she was going to figure how to play against Waverly and not embarrass herself in front of the selectors. 

She had some work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and commenting pals, it’s always appreciated 😊 Happy to chat all things WE and roller derby. How do we think tryouts will go...?
> 
> My derby fact of the chapter: I tried out for Team Scotland and spent the whole day telling anyone who’d listen that I was only there for the experience, to excuse how badly I thought I was doing (I did make the second round but no further, because unlike these two I was not a hotshot)!


	4. The tryout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s tryouts time! How will it go for our favourite superstar skaters...?

Nicole threw herself into training over the next two weeks, working harder than ever during sessions and scrimmages, and adding extra off-skates training where she could. 

The extra enthusiasm and dedication did not go unnoticed. 

At their last training session before tryouts, Malice cornered Nicole in the locker room as they were changing and asked, “What’s got into you, Haught?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“You’ve been non-stop at these sessions, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go so full out all the time.” 

“I always work hard at training,” Nicole protested. 

“Yeah, but this is something else. You were even running laps of the park before training this week. So what’s up?” 

“Look, it’s no big deal, I just decided to go for tryouts this weekend,” she admitted. 

“What? What happened to ‘there’s no way I’m trying out?’?” her friend looked shocked. 

“I changed my mind.” 

“We all know you don’t change your mind,” Malice scoffed. 

“Well this time I did. I didn’t say anything because I knew you’d all make a big deal. I still don’t think I’ll get through the first round.” 

“Of course you will. And what’s all that extra training for if you don’t think you’ve got a chance?” 

“I don’t think I’ve got a chance but I don’t want to look stupid either.” 

“You’re hopeless, Haught,” Malice laughed, throwing a balled-up bandana at her. 

 

On Sunday, it was Waverly’s turn to pick her up for tryouts. They had managed another couple of dates in the previous weeks and spoke or texted most days, but they hadn’t talked much about tryouts. 

When Nicole climbed into the red Jeep, she leaned over to kiss the other woman and then asked, “How are you feeling?” 

“Nervous. Really nervous, actually. How did you talk me into this?” 

“Because I know you’re going to do great, you’ll sail through this.” 

“I’d rather skate through it. What about you?” 

Nicole shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Not nervous like before a game, it’s not the same kind of pressure.” 

“What did your teammates say when you told them you were trying out?” 

“I only told Malice and she gave me a bit of shit about it. Everyone else will find out when we get there, I guess.” 

“My teammates kept asking why I changed my mind when I was so against it.” 

“Did you tell them a hot redhead had something to do with it?” Nicole threw her a cocky grin. 

“Nah, I said an annoying loser talked me into it,” Waverly shot back and they both laughed.

When they arrived at the venue, they found lots of other women milling around, many of whom they recognised. They joined the queue to sign in, and Nicole immediately spotted a group of her teammates near the front of the line. 

Suddenly she was more nervous about what they’d have to say about her being there with Waverly than she was for the tryout. 

“Seen any of your friends yet?” she asked Waverly. 

“Yeah, there’s a couple right at the front of the line, and I saw another group when we came in.” 

“Want to go talk to them when we’re done here?” 

“I’ll talk to them, yeah, but I want to stick with you. We’re each other’s moral support, remember?” Waverly smiled up at her, taking a hold of her arm. 

“And hiding-in-the-corner buddies,” Nicole smiled back. 

When they’d registered, they split to find their respective teammates, and Nicole approached hers with what she knew was a sheepish expression on her face. She was met with raised eyebrows and knowing smirks, and Malice was the first to speak. 

“Just changed your mind, huh? Nothing at all to do with Riot Earp over there changing it for you?” 

Nicole shrugged, knowing she didn’t have much of a defence. 

“Actually, it was my idea. I said I’d try out if she would, I didn’t think she should miss out on this.” 

“I didn’t see you working so hard to persuade any of us?” Wrath said pointedly. 

“Because you’d all already signed up! Look, we’re just giving each other moral support, okay?” 

“Pretty sure that’s not all you’re giving each other,” Malice smirked, and Nicole shook her head in despair. 

“And moral support? That’s what your team’s supposed to be here for,” Wrath added, indicating the group around them. 

“But if your team is full of assholes, what else are you supposed to do?” Nicole shot back. 

“Ow, you wound us, Haught. I get all the extra training now, trying to impress Riot,” teased Malice. 

“Nah, it’s so I can kick your ass on track. Not that I need anything extra to do that. I’m going to find Waverly.” 

She was met with a chorus of “oooh, Waverly,” and retorted, “So hard to believe you’re all grown women.” 

She shook her head as she walked away, but she couldn’t help but smile at what she knew was just teasing. From what she could see of Waverly, surrounded by a group of women and looking a little flustered, she was going through something similar. 

When Waverly had joined her to start kitting up, Nicole asked, “Did they give you a hard time?” 

“Yeah, a bit. Wondering how you persuaded me to come along when they couldn’t.” 

“Sounds familiar. Well, we’re all here now so let’s do this.” 

Almost as soon as Nicole started to warm up on track, she felt more settled and less nervous. They started off working on individual skating skills with drills designed to showcase strength, agility, balance and speed. Nicole was so accustomed to such drills, having spent so long working on them, that she let muscle memory take over and by the time they stopped for their first break, she was confident she’d done well. 

When they were told to pair up for the next set of drills, Nicole wasn’t sure whether to grab one of her teammates, but her decision was made when Waverly appeared at her side. It took a few run throughs to adjust to each other’s styles but when they did, they found that they worked well together. 

When they broke again, as they went to get water and a quick snack, Waverly said, “Not to get ahead of myself, but this is going well, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah, not half as bad as I thought it was going to be. I’m actually enjoying it.” 

“Me too, it’s fun. Turns out that we’re actually pretty good at this,” Waverly laughed. 

The rest of the day passed quickly, the skaters put through their paces time and again in different drills, until it was announced that the last hour would be a scrimmage. 

Thinking back to the last time they’d played against one another, Nicole wondered how to make sure that she would be on the same team as Waverly. A couple of the selectors were walking amongst the skaters handing out bibs to split the teams, and as soon as Nicole was handed one, she sought out Waverly and was relieved to see her already wearing the fluorescent yellow. 

There were so many skaters on each team that they were only on track together a handful of times, but Nicole found it was still preferable than playing against her. 

She was able to watch Waverly jam and, although she was admittedly a little biased, she thought she really stood out. Every time Nicole came off track, she and Waverly exchanged smiles and nods of encouragement, and by the end of the scrimmage, she was feeling even more confident of her performance. 

The selection committee announced that they’d find out later that week if they’d made it to the second round, and thanked them all for coming. 

As they were leaving the hall, surrounded by women talking excitedly about how it had gone, Nicole said to Waverly, “I’m starving. Shower then out for something to eat?” 

“How about back to mine? It’ll take forever to shower here with so many people. I don’t want to shower with forty women, just you,” Waverly smirked, nudging her with her elbow. 

“Well, when you put it like that...” Nicole smiled back. 

 

Nicole had just finished her shift on Thursday and, on the way out of the station, checked her phone for the first time in hours. She saw three missed calls from Waverly and a couple of messages asking her to call her back. 

She pulled up Waverly’s contact and made the call as she unlocked her car and climbed wearily into the driver’s seat. 

Waverly answered brightly, within a few rings, “Hi Nicole!” 

“Hey Waves. Sorry I missed your calls, what’s up?” 

“Did you get an email about tryouts?” 

“I don’t know, I just checked my phone. I’m guessing from the fact that you sound like you might burst that you made it through?” 

“Yep!” 

“That’s great, congratulations. I knew you would though.” 

“Thank you. Check yours now,” Waverly urged. 

“Okay, give me a minute.” Nicole pulled the phone away from her ear and scrolled through her emails, quickly finding what she was looking for. The first line of the email told her all she needed to know: ‘Congratulations! We are pleased to let you know...’ 

She switched back to the call and said, “Waverly? I’m through too.” 

“Yes! I knew it. Go us!” 

“So what next? I didn’t read the rest of the email.” 

“Round two is next Sunday, and it’s a couple of hours away. Can you make it?” Waverly asked. 

“Uh, I might have to swap a shift but it should be okay.” 

They chatted on a bit longer, making arrangements for their date that weekend, before saying goodbye. 

When Nicole looked at her phone again, she saw lots of messages in her team group chat and reading through them, found out that most of her teammates had also made it to round two. 

 

After training the next night, the locker room was full of excited chatter about the next round of tryouts as arrangements were made for the following weekend.

“Hey Haught, I’ve got space in my car if you wanna come with us?” Malice offered. 

“Thanks, I think I’m going to go with-“ Nicole was cut off before she could finish her sentence. 

“Your girlfriend can come with us too,” Malice replied with an exaggerated eye roll. 

“I’ll find out what her plans are, maybe she’ll be going with her team.” 

“It’s cool, we’ll be nice to her, I promise.” 

“You’re not even nice to me, so I’m not sure I believe that,” Nicole laughed. 

 

Nicole had managed to swap shifts to make sure she could go to tryouts, but she ended up working until midnight the night before. Waverly had a shift at Shorty’s but had arranged to finish at midnight too so Nicole picked her up from the bar and drove them both to her apartment. 

After feeding Calamity, Nicole turned to Waverly and asked, “Tea? Something to eat maybe?” 

“Yes to both, please.” 

“Toast and peanut butter okay?” 

“Perfect. Is it okay if I take a shower? I want to get rid of this bar smell.” 

“Sure, go ahead. I’ll have this ready for you getting out.” 

While Waverly was showering, Nicole stripped out of her uniform and pulled on shorts and a tank top, ready for bed after they’d eaten. She had just laid the mugs and plates on the coffee table and switched on the TV when Waverly padded into the room, clad in flannel pyjama bottoms and a derby t-shirt. 

She threw herself on the sofa next to Nicole and immediately started tucking into her food. Nicole watched her until she turned to face her and said, “Why are you looking at me like that?” 

“Because you’re cute. And I think this is the first time I’ve seen you in pyjamas. Our sleepovers have involved a bit less clothing,” Nicole smirked. 

“Yeah, well, tonight the emphasis is on the sleep. We’re getting picked up at 8.30 and it’s already nearly 1am.” 

“I know, don’t worry. I’m beat too, straight to bed after this.” 

When they’d finished, Waverly washed up their dishes while Nicole checked she had everything ready for the morning. She was always fastidious in her preparations so her kit bag was fully packed and her clothes laid out ready to go. 

Waverly was already in bed, scrolling through her phone, by the time Nicole had brushed her teeth and walked into the bedroom. She was taken aback for a moment by how at home Waverly looked and how quickly they’d fallen into a comfortable routine. 

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Waverly asking, “Coming to bed, or are you just going to stand there?” 

Rather than answer, Nicole slid under the covers and switched the lamp off. After checking her phone alarm was set, Waverly did the same, and once they were in darkness, she scooted closer to Nicole and rested her head on her shoulder. Nicole’s arm automatically went around her and she unconsciously traced soft patterns on her skin. 

“Goodnight, Waverly,” she whispered, leaning down to kiss her softly. Waverly responded, pushing back into her and deepening the kiss until Nicole pulled away. 

“What happened to sleep?” she teased. 

“You’re right. All we’re going to do is sleep,” Waverly decided, settling back down in Nicole’s arms, sliding a hand under her tank top to rest on the warm skin of her stomach. 

“Big day tomorrow after all. We’re gonna need all of our energy for that,” Nicole said against Waverly’s hair. 

“True, I wouldn’t want to wear you out before that,” the end of Waverly’s sentence was swallowed by a yawn, and she chuckled sheepishly. 

“Guess I’m worn out too. Definitely just sleep.” 

“Definitely. Night, Waves.” 

They were standing outside Nicole’s apartment building the next morning when their ride pulled up, and Nicole squeezed their kitbags into the trunk with the three that were already there as Waverly climbed into the back seat. Nicole jumped into next to her and pulled the door shut behind her, and Malice asked from the driver’s seat as she pulled away from the kerb, “How are we this morning? Ready to go?” 

“I think so. I’m a bit nervous though,” Waverly admitted. 

“Us too. We’re going to stop for breakfast on the way, we always do when we travel for games. That okay with you, Earp?” 

“Sure, sounds good.” Nicole reached for Waverly’s hand and held it against her leg, giving a reassuring squeeze and a smile when Waverly turned to look at her. 

This time, when they gathered in the sports hall, they recognised far fewer faces than before, with skaters coming through from regional tryouts. Nicole could feel the anticipation and nervous energy building in the room and tried to tune it out by focusing on what the selectors were telling them. 

After a warm up, they were split up and thrown straight into drills, working in groups around the track under the watchful eye of the committee. Nicole didn’t know any of the other skaters she was grouped with but, as was her way, she quickly appraised them and worked out how best to work with each of them. She was so accustomed to leading on track but she tried to rein in her natural instinct so she didn’t take over the group. 

After a break, they were split again so each group comprised blockers and a jammer, and this time, Waverly and Nicole ended up together. Because they were again with other skaters that neither of them knew, they kept a distance between them, as much as they could in a very physical drill. 

When they’d found out that they would both be taking part in the next round of tryouts, Nicole and Waverly had discussed what would happen if they had to play against each other and agreed that they would each treat the other as any other opponent. 

Nicole tried to keep that in mind every time she faced off against Waverly, as much as she was concerned with the possibility of hurting the other woman. She also had to remind herself that she was being scrutinised and that she wanted to impress. 

Nicole could tell that Waverly wasn’t holding back and was going full out against the blockers in front of her, which somehow made it easier to respond in kind. They were mostly evenly matched, and although Waverly got the better of her a few times, Nicole had the final triumph when a well-timed hit sent Waverly sprawling to the track. 

A whistle signalled the end of the drill and as everyone skated to the sides of the hall, Nicole offered Waverly a hand and pulled her to her feet. 

“Nice hit, Haught,” Waverly told her, with a rueful smile. 

“I thought so. You okay?” 

“My butt hurts, but yeah.” 

“Want me to rub it better?” Nicole asked, tapping her lightly on the ass. 

“Maybe later,” Waverly winked as she skated off. 

As before, the final hour was given over to a scrimmage, but this time, Nicole and Waverly found themselves on different teams. From the first jam, the scrim was intense, everyone desperate to make the most of their final chance to impress, and Nicole fought to keep a cool head in the heat of the moment. 

She only came up against Waverly a couple of times during the first half but from what Nicole had managed to see, she was doing well, racking up points almost every time she was on track. 

They didn’t face off again until midway through the second half, with the score close. Nicole took an offensive role to help her own jammer through the pack and turned back to assist her blockers in holding Waverly. The jammer broke free, with only Nicole to pass, but as she closed the gap, her wheel was clipped by another skater and she lurched forward. 

Before Nicole could do anything, she felt the solid contact of Waverly’s helmet to her face, and she couldn’t stop herself from falling back, Waverly landing almost on top of her. Her hands went to her face straight away and Waverly jumped back as the whistle blew to end the jam. 

Nicole was immediately surrounded by officials checking that she was okay while Waverly hovered next to her looking horrified. She looked down to see blood on her shirt but she wasn’t sure where it was coming from. 

Waverly was told twice to return to her bench but she stayed where she was until Nicole spoke up, “I’m fine Waves, it’s okay. Go finish the game.” 

She still looked reluctant but finally skated off as Nicole was helped off track to her own bench. While the game resumed, Nicole was tended to by a first aider who told her that the blood was coming from her nose, but that it wasn’t broken. 

She watched the rest of the game from the sidelines, an ice pack pressed against her tender face and a headache already building. As soon as it was finished, Waverly skated straight over and dropped to her knees in front of her to study her face intently. 

“I’m so, so sorry Nicole. Are you okay?” 

“It’s fine Waverly, it was an accident,” Nicole reassured her, voice muffled from behind the ice pack. 

“Is it your nose? It’s not broken, is it?” 

“Nah, it was just a bump. It’s stopped bleeding too, I’m just trying to keep the swelling down.” 

“I can’t believe I hurt you. I’m so sorry,” Waverly apologised again, placing her hands on her Nicole’s thighs and rubbing gently. 

“Honestly, I’m okay. I’ve had worse. What’s a black eye and a burst nose between friends, right?” Nicole tried to smile but winced as the pain shot through her nose. 

“It’s not okay, you’re in pain. I’ll get you some painkillers.” 

“In a minute. Look, everyone is gathering over there.” 

Waverly helped Nicole to her feet and they skated over to join everyone else as the selectors explained that they would hear later in the week if they had made it to the final stage, the training squad. The training squad would comprise thirty skaters who would meet to train and play regularly, and the final squad of twenty for the World Cup would be chosen from that group. 

Waverly was distracted throughout; Nicole could sense her stealing glances at her face. When they were told they could go, she turned to Waverly and said again, “Waves, I’m fine. Stop feeling bad about it, okay?” 

“What if I ruined your chances to get through?” Waverly blurted. 

“What?” 

“You had to sit out the scrim, what if that affected your chances?” 

“There was only fifteen minutes left, if I hadn’t done enough by then I didn’t have a chance anyway,” Nicole reasoned, but Waverly didn’t look convinced, and she continued to fuss over Nicole, finding painkillers for her and helping her to de-kit and pack her bag. 

The car journey home was much quieter, everyone drained from a long, physical day, and Waverly spent most of it snuggled into Nicole, both dozing. 

When they pulled up outside Waverly’s apartment, Nicole got out with her to say goodbye. 

“Text me when you’re going to bed, okay? I want to make sure you’re okay,” Waverly asked. 

“I will. I’ll probably just take another couple of painkillers and go to bed when I get in. Please stop worrying though, it’s fine,” Nicole told her for what felt like the hundredth time. 

Waverly reached up to kiss her but when their noses bumped, Nicole couldn’t help but wince. 

Before Waverly had a chance to say anything, Nicole jumped in, “Don’t you dare apologise.” 

She leaned in more carefully and pressed a gentle kiss to Waverly’s lips, leaving her with a quiet, “Goodnight,” before getting back in the car. 

 

Nicole didn’t see Waverly again until Thursday evening, when they went to catch a movie, although she had spent the week reassuring her that her nose was healing and her black eye wasn’t that bad. 

Waverly was absent-mindedly looking at her phone as they climbed into Nicole’s car after the movie when she let out a gasp. 

Nicole looked at her in concern until she said, “I just got the email.” 

“Tryouts?”  
“Yep. I’m scared to open it. Have you got one too?” Waverly asked, clutching her phone tightly. 

Nicole dug her phone out of her pocket and opened her emails. “I have. Together?” she asked, and Waverly nodded, “Together. 1... 2... 3.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks for reading and for commenting! Writing this is making me nostalgic for roller derby, and most of the chapter was written with derby on YouTube in the background! I’ve also been searching out old derby photos that will no doubt make their way to Twitter.
> 
> Nicole’s friends Malice and Wrath are named for two of my favourite teammates, Malice in Wonderland and Sylvia Wrath. 
> 
> How do we think they did? Who will make it through? Nicole? Waverly? Both? Who knows!


	5. The decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole get the answer they’ve been waiting for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I kinda forgot that I had this one still in progress... this is a short chapter to try to kick some life back into it!

“I’m in!” 

“I made it.” 

Waverly’s tone was high pitched and excited; Nicole’s one of disbelief. 

“We both did? That’s amazing! Well done,” Waverly squealed, throwing herself across to hug Nicole and almost landing in her lap. 

“You too, I knew you would.” 

“And I knew you would,” Waverly smiled, planting a kiss on her cheek. 

“Even after you tried to take me out of the running?” Nicole teased, and Waverly buried her face in her scarf. 

“Don’t, I still feel terrible about that.” 

“Well, now you don’t have to, because I made it anyway. We both did,” Nicole grinned. 

“I can’t believe it. You know that means we’re two of the best thirty skaters in the country?” 

Nicole let out an incredulous laugh. “Wow. I didn’t think about it like that, but I guess that’s true. So what next?” 

“Hang on, let me read the email properly.” Waverly scrolled through the message on her phone, reading parts aloud as she went. 

“Three months of regular training... some scheduled games... training schedule will be out this weekend and first session next weekend. That’s the gist.” 

“Three months? I’m not sure how I’m going to fit all of that extra training in around my shifts,” Nicole frowned, thinking ahead already. 

“It does say that there’s a bit of flexibility with attendance, you’ll probably be able to miss a few.” 

“I’ll find out when we see the schedule. Anyway, shall we go celebrate?” 

“Definitely. This is so exciting!” Waverly let out another squeal, wriggling in her seat, and Nicole couldn’t help but laugh. 

 

Nicole wasn’t allowed to take part in the scrimmage the following night, thanks to her still-healing face, but she went along anyway to help out. League members were expected to take on non-skating official roles from time to time, and Nicole found herself in the corner with a clipboard, scoretracking for the scrim. 

She had arrived late from her shift and hadn’t had a chance to speak to any of her teammates, who were all warming up already. She was so absorbed in preparing everything she needed for the game that she didn’t realise someone had approached her until they cleared their throat. She looked up in surprise to see Waverly standing in front of her, fully kitted up. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked, not even greeting her in her surprise. 

“Looks like I might be about to play some roller derby. I got a shift swap last minute so I thought I’d drop in. How come you’re not skating?” 

Nicole paused before she replied; Waverly was still apologetic about hurting her and she didn’t want to make her feel worse by telling her she couldn’t play because of that. 

“My turn to NSO tonight. In fact, I shouldn’t be talking to you, you might be trying to influence me as an official,” she teased. 

“Oh yeah? How would I do that?” Waverly smirked, skating closer, then jumping as a voice from the track barked, “Earp! Over here!” 

“Told you,” Nicole laughed. 

“Fine. See you at the end?” 

“Sure. Now go.” 

Nicole usually enjoyed taking a turn at officiating; while she’d always rather be on track, it was helpful to see the game from the other side, and a good way to absorb the rules. Tonight however, she found her attention drift to Waverly every time she took to the track. The way she moved, the strength and control she had over her body, the determination writ large across her face. Nicole had to tear her eyes away to focus on the referee instead, as they indicated how many points the jammer had scored in each jam. 

At the end of the scrimmage, the skaters disappeared into the changing rooms while Nicole had to go over the paperwork with the rest of the officials. 

She was waiting impatiently outside the changing rooms when Malice emerged, and she asked, “Is Waverly still in there?” 

“Nice to see you too, Haught.” 

“Sorry. Well played tonight,” Nicole told her. 

“Well, what would you expect from one of the thirty best skaters in Canada?” Malice boasted.

“Of course. Can you believe how many of us made it to the training squad?” 

“Yep, because we’re that good. Glad you went for it now?” 

“Yeah, but I’m a bit worried about all this extra training, I don’t know how I’m going to fit it in,” Nicole admitted. 

“Wait until you see the schedule, it might be alright. If Earp’s going to be there, I’m sure you’ll find the time,” she teased. 

“Remind me to skip the sessions you’re going to.” 

“Harsh. Anyway, she is still in there, I think she’s the only one left,” Malice told her, indicating the door behind her. 

After saying goodbye to her teammate, Nicole stepped into the seemingly empty locker room, and called, “Waverly?” 

The faint sound of running water stopped and a moment later, Waverly appeared, wrapped in a towel and using another to dry her hair. 

“Oh, hey. I didn’t realise how long I was in there,” she said, looking around at the empty room. 

“Sure you weren’t trying to get me in here alone?” Nicole smiled, stepping closer. 

“You got me, that’s exactly what I was up to,” Waverly rolled her eyes, but still reached up to pull Nicole closer by the front of her shirt. 

“You played great tonight. And you were very, very distracting,” Nicole told her, voice low, as she leaned closer. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. I messed up the scores in two jams because of you,” Nicole admitted, and Waverly laughed, a look of delight on her face. 

“Did you get in trouble?” 

“Once more and I’d have been kicked out,” she pouted, walking them slowly backwards until she had Waverly against the lockers. 

“Maybe I should make it up to you,” Waverly curled her fingers in the soft hair at the nape of Nicole’s neck and pulled her into a kiss which quickly turned heated. 

Nicole, head spinning with Waverly’s fresh, clean scent and shower-warmed skin, slid a hand under the towel and around her back. Waverly pushed herself closer and Nicole took that as encouragement to slide her hand further down to her ass, gliding over soft skin, and she gave the firm muscle a soft squeeze. Waverly moaned against her mouth, deepening the kiss as Nicole’s hands continued their path across her bare skin. 

Waverly broke their kiss and began to trail her lips across the taller woman’s jaw and down her neck. Nudging aside the unbuttoned collar of her shirt, she bit down lightly on her sharply defined collarbone. In response, Nicole pushed her thigh between Waverly’s and pulled her closer, hands tight on her hips. Waverly melted against her, hands fisted tightly in the material of her shirt, before she pulled away slightly. 

Nicole held her gaze and checked, “You okay?” 

“Yeah. But we should stop before we can’t.” 

“This smelly locker room not doing it for you?” Nicole gave a shaky laugh and stepped back to allow Waverly to fix her towel. 

“Such a romantic. Probably better to go somewhere no-one’s going to walk in on us.” 

“Okay. Hurry up then.” 

“Patience,” Waverly scolded as she pulled fresh clothes out of her bag. 

Nicole took a seat on the bench and watched shamelessly as Waverly finished drying off. Waverly looked over to see Nicole’s eyes on her, and asked, “Are you going to sit there and watch me, creep?” 

“Yep,” Nicole grinned, then laughed as Waverly tossed the wet towel over her. 

 

Nicole was at work the next day when she received the email with the team training and game schedule, and after her shift finished, spent a while trying to work out what she would be able to attend. She was relieved to find that, with a few colleagues willing to swap shifts with her, she could make the majority of sessions. 

 

The following weekend, as she drove with Waverly to their first official training session, she felt more nervous than she had at any point in the process thus far. 

Waverly chatted excitedly but Nicole was too distracted to offer much in the way of conversation. Finally, Waverly noticed, and asked, “What’s up, Nicole?” 

“Hmm? Oh, nothing, sorry.” 

“Are you nervous about today?” 

“I guess. Actually, yeah, I’m really nervous.” 

“Why? You’ve earned it, you deserve to be part of this,” Waverly assured her. 

“I know, but I still feel like I might be out of my depth.” 

“No way. You are one of the best skaters I’ve played against. In fact, I kinda hate skating against you,” Waverly laughed. 

“Ditto, you’re the worst. Because you’re the best.” 

“See, you help me believe that, you need to believe it about yourself.” 

“I know I’m good, but am I good enough? This all started as a bit of a joke, but now we’re so close to getting it. I didn’t know I wanted it this much,” Nicole admitted, not taking her eyes off the road. 

“I feel the same. Honestly, I haven’t really let myself think about what it would be like to make the team, it was a lot less scary when it was just for fun.” 

“Okay, so we need to try to keep that feeling, right? We’re back at the start of tryouts and it’s just for fun.” 

“And we have each other’s backs. Remember we can still always hide in the corner,” Waverly laughed. 

“Okay, we can do this. Thanks Waves,” Nicole smiled across at her. 

“Any time.” 

When they arrived at the venue, they unloaded their bags from the car, and before they headed inside, Waverly grasped Nicole’s hand and asked, “Ready?” 

“Ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, comments and feedback always appreciated! 
> 
> Roller derby note: NSOs are non-skating officials who, along with the referees (who are on skates) keep the game on track (pun entirely intended) by timing, tracking scores, penalties etc. I made a terrible NSO because I spent far too much time watching the game. Not for the reasons Nicole is bad at it...
> 
> Give me a shout on Twitter @HaughtToScot to talk roller derby, Wynonna Earp and anything else, and to laugh at my terrible roller derby photos!


	6. The last chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time to find out who’s going to the World Cup!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it’s been a wee while since the last chapter... something like five months. It took a while to get back to but here we are, with a final chapter to come after this.
> 
> Thanks to Lucky for helping get this back on track (pun entirely intended).

Nicole slipped into a free seat in the third row just as the first whistle sounded and the action began. She scanned the figures on track and, not finding who she was looking for, moved her gaze to the bench area. Waverly was deep in conversation with the four other skaters around her, but when the first jam ended and they took to the track she glanced up and spotted Nicole. She raised her hand in a small wave and gave her a dazzling smile before taking her place behind the line. 

 

Nicole tried to focus on the action, how the things they were working on in training translated to a game, but every time her girlfriend was on track, she was too distracted. She watched as Waverly juked and jumped her way through the pack, using her strength and agility to pass the opposing skaters, although Nicole couldn’t help but cringe every time she took a heavy hit or was knocked to the floor. 

 

By halftime, the team was over a hundred points in front, Waverly responsible for a significant proportion of those. Nicole headed down to the team area to speak to everyone while they took a break, and Waverly skated over to greet her first. 

 

“I’m glad you made it,” she said, reaching up to give her a quick kiss. 

 

“I got away just in time. You’re playing so well,” Nicole told her. 

 

“I’m having fun out there today. I wish you were playing too though.” 

 

“Me too, but the team’s doing great. I’m impressed.” 

 

Nicole spoke with the team until the second half was about to start then took her seat in the crowd again. She always found it difficult to watch rather than participate but with thirty skaters and only fourteen spots on a team, she knew she couldn’t be picked for every game. She was pleased with her performance in each of the games she had played, although watching everyone else was a reminder that the competition for a place in the final selection was tougher than ever. Along with Waverly, she had already been picked for the next game, the final chance to impress before the World Cup squad was selected. 

 

After the game, which ended in an easy victory, Nicole joined the team while they went over their performance. While everyone was making plans to go out for food, Waverly sat next to Nicole and asked, “Do you want to go out with everyone?” 

 

“I don’t mind. I came straight from work so I haven’t eaten yet.” 

 

“Maybe we could just go home and get takeout instead? I haven’t seen you all week,” Waverly suggested. 

 

“I know, work has been crazy recently, I haven’t had time for anything else. I’d much rather spend the night with you.” 

 

“Me too. I got a ride here so you’ll have to drive me home.” 

 

“Oh, I think I can manage that,” Nicole smiled. 

 

On the drive back to Nicole’s, she asked, “How are you feeling after that?” 

 

“Great. Tired and a bit sore, but I feel like I had a good game.” 

 

“You were awesome. Our best jammer by far.” 

 

“I'm sure that’s not an objective view , but thanks. I feel like all the extra training is paying off, everyone played so well,” Waverly grinned. 

 

“They did, everyone gelled really well. I wish I’d been able to make more training sessions. I haven’t even been to my own training for a week,” Nicole told her. 

 

“You’ll be fine though. I can’t wait till the next game when we both get to play.” 

 

“Me neither. I need to train as hard as I can before them so I can keep up.” 

 

“Will you be able to make more training? How’s work looking?” 

 

“Not too bad, I think I should be able to make the rest of the sessions from now on. And I have tomorrow off.” 

 

“Well that’s lucky, since I do too.” 

 

“Isn’t that a happy coincidence?” Nicole grinned.

 

Over the next few weeks Nicole threw herself into training, both with her own team and the national squad, in preparation for the final warm up game. Waverly was similarly busy but they tried to spend at least one night together during the week, usually at Nicole’s after training or their shifts ended. As distracted as she was with work and training, those nights were the highlights of Nicole’s week. She savoured the time that they spent together, whether on opposing teams at training or eating takeout in front of the TV. 

 

On the morning of the final game, Nicole woke early, already feeling the nerves fluttering in her stomach. She glanced down to see Waverly still sleeping peacefully, curled into her side, and sighed, knowing further sleep was beyond her now. She lay where she was for another fifteen minutes, torn between the urge to get up and try to work off some of her nervous energy, and her reluctance to disturb Waverly. 

 

The decision was made for her when her girlfriend stirred, tightening her grip on Nicole’s t-shirt for a second before before opening her eyes and blinking sleepily at her. 

 

“M’rnin’” she mumbled, voice muffled against Nicole’s shoulder. 

 

Nicole chuckled softly, “Wanna try that again?” 

 

“No.” Waverly buried her face further into the crook of Nicole’s neck and tightened her hold around her waist. 

 

“Okay. We’ll just stay here today then, forgot about the game?” 

 

“Yep.” 

 

After a few minutes, Waverly pushed herself up with a groan and stretched her arms above her head. “Oh, fine. I guess we should go play some roller derby.” 

 

“That’s the spirit,” Nicole laughed. 

 

They ate a hearty breakfast before checking, twice in Nicole’s case, that they had everything they needed for the game. They met up with their teammates at the venue and were soon put through their paces with an off skates warmup, which helped Nicole to work off some of her nerves. 

 

She sat slightly apart from everyone as she got ready, focusing only on methodically putting on each piece of kit. She finished tying her skates, adjusted her helmet and got to her feet. Looking around, she saw Waverly, by now well used to her pre-game routine, smiling at her.

 

“You good?” Waverly asked. 

 

“I’m good. How do you feel?” 

 

“Like this is the most important game I’ve ever played.” 

 

“Yep, I get that. I feel like I might have forgotten everything I ever knew about playing roller derby,” Nicole admitted. 

 

“Well, you’d better hope it comes back to you soon,” Waverly laughed, nudging her with her shoulder. 

 

There was truth in Waverly’s words, Nicole knew she was in the first line up to take to the track so she had to pull herself together quickly. After another warm up and a final pep talk, Nicole and her four teammates skated onto track to take their places. Before the first whistle blew, as Nicole was taking deep breaths and trying to focus, she glanced over to where the rest of her team were gathered. Waverly was deep in conversation, getting ready to go on next, but she looked up and gave Nicole a small wave and a smile. Nicole smiled back and felt herself relax, and when the whistle blew, she was ready. M

 

From the first jam, their team was on top, controlling the play and putting into practice everything they’d been working on. Despite Nicole’s initial nerves, she felt in control on track, landing almost every hit she went for, playing cleanly and avoiding penalties. 

 

Waverly was on a different rotation so they didn’t play together at all in the first half, but every time Nicole caught a glimpse of her, she was racing around the track, juking through impossibly small gaps and riding out hits from skaters twice her size. 

 

By half time, they had racked up almost two hundred points while restricting their opponents to just a handful. Nicole and Waverly left the hall together to refill their water bottles, and Waverly said, “I see you remembered how to play roller derby then?” 

 

“Luckily, yeah. Everything is working pretty well out there.” 

 

“Better than that, we’re doing great. I don’t think anyone has got past you.” 

 

“No-one’s been able to stop you. You are awesome,” Nicole told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

 

“And you are biased. But I’ll take it,” she grinned, reaching up to plant a kiss on her cheek. 

 

The game continued in a similar fashion in the second half, until with ten minutes left, the coaches decided to experiment with different rotations. Nicole was sent on to jam, never her favourite position, but with such a strong team around her she enjoyed it more than usual and added some points to their total. 

 

When the final whistle blew, they stayed on track for a while, celebrating their win and cooling down after an intense game. They all knew there was no more they could do; the selectors would make their choices and everyone would find out by the end of the week if they had made it. 

 

As they slowly circled the track together, Waverly said, “So, that’s it. Out of our hands now.” 

 

“I know, I can’t believe it’s over. Or, maybe, just starting.” 

 

“I’m going to be a wreck all week waiting to find out.” 

 

“I hope we don’t have to wait too long.” After a beat, Nicole spoke up again, “Whatever happens, I’m glad I had this whole experience with you.” 

 

“Me too. I’d never have done it without you. And whatever happens, it doesn’t change anything with us. Just, don’t forget me when you’re a World Cup winning skater, okay?” Waverly teased. 

 

“As if. Anyway, you’re the one that’s going to the World Cup.” 

 

“We both are,” Waverly stated firmly, and in the moment, Nicole believed her. 

 

The week dragged as both Nicole and Waverly waited to find out their fate. Nicole distracted herself, as usual, with work, but every time her phone pinged with an email, her stomach lurched. 

 

As she left work on Thursday, she checked her phone for the first time since lunch and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw an email from the selection committee. She hurried to her car and settled in the driver’s seat before looking at her phone again. Taking a deep breath, and with a shaking hand, Nicole opened the email and scanned the first line. 

 

_ We would like to thank you for all of your hard work, but unfortunately _ ... The rest of the text blurred as her eyes filled with unexpected tears and her stomach dropped. She hadn’t made it. It had all been for nothing. She swiped her hand across her eyes, catching the tears before they spilled, frustrated and a little embarrassed at her reaction.  _ It doesn’t matter, it’s not a big deal. It was only for fun anyway, _ she tried to tell herself, but it didn’t help. Her mind raced with everything she could have done,  _ should  _ have done differently.

 

She was still sitting in her car ten minutes later when her phone rang and she was unsurprised to see it was Waverly. Her falsely cheerful “Hey Waves” was answered by a high pitched squeal, and she smiled despite herself. 

 

“I’ll take it from that you made the squad?” 

 

“Oh my God, oh my God, I can’t believe it.” Waverly was breathless with excitement. 

 

Nicole swallowed down her own disappointment and replied, “I can believe it. Of course you made it, you really deserve it. Congratulations Waverly.” 

 

“I know I kept saying that we’d both make it, but I never really thought I would. I’m so excited, I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Waverly continued to chatter excitedly, barely stopping for breath, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she hadn’t actually asked Nicole what her answer had been. 

 

Nicole was reluctant to break it to her, partly because she didn’t want to say it herself, but eventually she interrupted. 

 

“Waves, wait, slow down. I, uh, I didn’t make the team.” 

 

There was silence for a moment before Waverly spoke up. “What? No. You’re kidding?” 

 

“I wouldn’t. No, I wasn’t picked.” Nicole pressed her fingers to her eyes, trying to stop fresh tears. 

 

“But that can’t be right. You’re one of the best. It’s not fair.” 

 

“It’s okay, Waves.” 

 

“It’s not okay! Can you, I don’t know, appeal or something? You need to be on the team.” 

 

“No, I’m not going to do that. They made their choice and yeah, right now it sucks, but it’s not the end of the world,” Nicole reassured her, trying to keep her voice steady. 

 

“I’m sorry Nicole. I can’t believe this. You shouldn’t have let me keep babbling on about how great it was.” 

 

“Don’t do that. You should be happy, okay? I’m happy for you. I’m so proud of you, baby.” She could hear Waverly sniffling on the other end of the line and she felt even worse that she had ruined Waverly’s moment. 

 

Suddenly desperate to end their conversation, she said, “I’ve got to go. I’ll speak to you later?” 

 

“Can I come over? I get off at 8.” 

 

“Sure. We can celebrate.” 

 

On the way home, Nicole picked up flowers and wine, determined that they would celebrate Waverly’s news. Over the next few hours, as Nicole puttered around her apartment trying to stay occupied, her phone lit up repeatedly, her team’s group chat filled with excited messages from those that had been selected. She was one of only two from her team that hadn’t been picked. Her teammates were indignant on her behalf, telling her she should have made the team, but their messages of support only made her feel worse. 

 

When there was a knock on her door, she forced a smile as she opened it to Waverly. Before Nicole could shut the door behind them, Waverly set down the bag she was carrying and wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. Nicole let herself relax into the embrace and ran a hand through Waverly’s hair. She pulled back after a moment, just far enough to kiss her softly and say, “Wait a second, don’t you skate for Team Canada?” 

 

Waverly smiled widely but Nicole could see worry in her eyes. “Apparently. Are you okay?” 

 

“I’m okay. Come in, dinner’s almost ready.” 

 

Waverly picked up her bag and followed her to the kitchen. “You didn’t have to make dinner.” 

 

“We’re celebrating. Can you open the wine? It’s in the fridge.” 

 

Waverly poured two glasses and handed one to Nicole, who said, “Congratulations again. You’re amazing.” 

 

“Thank you,” Waverly replied as they clinked glasses, “I brought something for you too.” She pulled a tub of ice cream and a bottle of whiskey from her bag, holding them up to show Nicole. “Your favourites.” 

 

“Thank you. That’s comfort food though, tonight we’re celebrating.” 

 

“We can do a bit of both,” Waverly told her, and Nicole smiled gratefully before turning back to the food.

 

 They only talked a little about derby over dinner, Waverly awkwardly skirting around the subject. When they’d settled on the couch after dinner, drinks in hand, Nicole turned to Waverly and asked, “So what happens now? When do you start training?” 

 

“Um, next week. We got a provisional training schedule today. It’s a lot.” 

 

“Even more than before?” 

 

“It looks like it. I’ll have to try to coordinate my shifts.” 

 

“There’s a bright side for me I guess, I’ll actually have some free time again. I was struggling to fit everything in for a while there.” 

 

“You never had the same chance as everyone else, you didn’t train or play as much as the rest of us.” Waverly was still trying to find reasons that Nicole had been overlooked. 

 

“I did as much as I could, Waverly. I was committed,” Nicole said, surprising them both with the edge in her voice. 

 

“I know that, I just meant if you’d been able to spend the same amount of time as everyone else you’d have made the team.” 

 

“That doesn’t help now.” Nicole caught the hurt expression on Waverly’s face before she turned away, but at that moment, she didn’t care. 

 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Nicole trying to fight off a wave of self-pity, before she turned to Waverly with a sigh. 

 

“I’m sorry. I’m being an ass.” 

 

Waverly didn’t look at her as she replied, “You’re allowed to be disappointed about this Nicole. It’s shitty.” 

 

“It is shitty, but it’s not your fault. I’m sorry for taking it out on you.” 

 

Waverly moved closer again and rested her head on Nicole’s shoulder. 

 

“I know it’s weird, we were supposed to be in this together. I’m so sorry it didn’t work out that way.” 

 

“I am too, but if I’m allowed to be disappointed, you’re allowed to be happy. Ecstatic, even. Over the moon.” Nicole tried to lighten the mood. 

 

“I am. I just wish it was both of us,” Waverly sighed. 

 

“So do I. But I really am happy for you. You’re going to be awesome, and I’ll be your biggest supporter,” Nicole promised, silently hoping it would be that easy to put her own disappointment aside.Thw 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, are you really okay with this, Nicole? We’ll find out soon (sooner than five months anyway)!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. The World Cup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the World Cup nears and training intensifies, how is Waverly and Nicole’s relationship faring?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What’s this? Two updates in a week after nothing for months?! I was relieved and grateful to find that people were still interested in this story so I was inspired to finish it!

**Are you free tomorrow? Wanna try that new vegan place for dinner?**

 

**Sorry babe, got a team thing tomorrow night. Another time though? Miss you x**

 

Nicole sighed as she tossed her phone to the other end of the couch without replying to Waverly’s message. Not even a month since Team Canada training began and it seemed to occupy more of Waverly’s time and attention with each passing week. Nicole meant it when she said she was happy for Waverly, and she wanted to support her in any way she could, but she couldn’t deny she was finding it difficult. 

 

It wasn’t just that they weren’t able to spend as much time together as either of them would like. Something they had talked about, taken part in, planned for together for so long was closed off to Nicole now. She knew that Waverly tried to be tactful around her, to temper her excitement and not talk about training too much, which only made Nicole feel worse. Desperate not to be seen as jealous or resentful, she encouraged Waverly to tell her all about it and tried to match her excitement. 

 

She wasn’t upset that Waverly had made it over her, not really; mostly, she was mad at herself, that she couldn’t be as happy for her girlfriend as she should be. Even her own training, her haven for so long, felt different now. With so many of her teammates making the national squad, the subject was never far from their conversation. Since she’d started playing roller derby, Nicole had looked forward to every training session and game with her teammates, but for the first time, she felt excluded from part of it. 

 

After another week of barely seeing each other, Nicole and Waverly finally had a weekend to spend together. With a scrimmage on Friday night and Team Canada training for Waverly on Sunday it would be bookended by derby, but Nicole reasoned that it was better than nothing. 

 

After her shift finished on Friday, Nicole drove to Waverly’s apartment where she was standing outside, bags at her feet. Nicole got out to help her and before she could pick up a bag, Waverly grabbed her hand and pulled her into a quick kiss. 

 

“Hey,” she greeted her. 

 

“Hey yourself,” Nicole smiled back before picking up Waverly’s kitbag and going to open the trunk. She put it in alongside her own while Waverly placed her other bags in the back and then climbed into the passenger seat. 

 

“Do you think you brought enough stuff?” Nicole asked as she got back into the car and looked behind her at Waverly’s bags. 

 

“Well, I needed kit for tonight and Sunday, plus other clothes. And I brought everything we’ll need so we don’t have to leave your apartment tomorrow.” 

 

“Okay, that’s a good enough reason for me,” Nicole grinned. 

 

When they arrived in the locker room, Waverly was greeted enthusiastically by her new teammates and they chatted excitedly about their upcoming games while they kitted up. Nicole sat quietly next to her as she got ready. She felt a hand squeeze her thigh gently and looked up to see Waverly smiling apologetically at her. She returned the smile and patted Waverly’s hand briefly before returning to what she was doing. 

 

Waverly stuck close by her as they warmed up, and managed to strategically position herself so that they ended up on the same team. Nicole had more fun playing than she had for the past month, skating with Waverly as much as possible and enjoying the friendly competition. 

 

As they left the venue afterwards, Waverly said, “That was so much fun. I missed skating with you.” 

 

“Me too. That was the best I’ve felt on skates for a while,” Nicole told her. 

 

Waverly was about to reply when a voice behind them called her name. They both turned to see Malice and Wrath beckoning her over, so Nicole said, “Go, I’ll put our bags in the car and wait for you there.” 

 

Waverly looked unsure but did as Nicole suggested. Nicole sat in the car, trying not to stare over to where they were talking, and after five minutes, Waverly hugged them both and ran over to the car. 

 

“Sorry about that. We were just arranging for Malice to pick me up on Sunday,” Waverly explained. 

 

“It’s fine. Ready to go?” 

 

“Yep. And no more derby talk, I promise.” 

 

“Waverly, you know it’s okay to talk about it.” 

 

“But I don’t want to. We’ve hardly spent any time together so we’re not spending all weekend talking about it.” 

 

When they arrived back at her apartment, Nicole left Waverly feeding and playing with Calamity Jane while she fixed them drinks and something to eat. As she moved around the kitchen, Nicole watched surreptitiously as Waverly sat on the floor, letting the cat climb over her lap. Waverly glanced up and caught Nicole looking at her. 

 

“What is it?” she asked with a a smile. 

 

“Nothing. Just, she likes you a lot. I think she missed you.” 

 

“She does? I really like her too, and I missed her. I’m sorry I’ve not been around much to see her,” Waverly said, standing up and moving closer to Nicole. 

 

“You’re here now so I’m sure she forgives you,” Nicole smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

 

When they’d finished eating, Nicole cleared everything away and said, “I’m going to jump in the shower, help yourself to anything you want. You know where everything is.” 

 

“How about some company? I need a shower too, and we really shouldn’t waste water,” Waverly suggested. 

 

“That’s very considerate of you. We owe it to the planet really.” 

 

Before Nicole had even finished speaking, Waverly had pushed past her on the way to the bathroom, already pulling her shirt off, and Nicole followed her, laughing. For the rest of the night, roller derby was the furthest thing from her mind. 

 

The feeling continued through the next day too. After staying in bed much later than usual, they made brunch together and as Waverly had promised, didn’t venture outdoors all day.  With the rain pouring down outside, Nicole was grateful for the cosy refuge of her apartment and the company of Waverly. They passed the time idly, watching TV, listening to music, most of it fading into the background as they talked, more than they had for weeks, barely moving from the nest they’d made on the couch. Nicole savoured the time together after the whirlwind and the conflicting emotions of the past month and judging by the way Waverly hardly left her side, she felt the same. 

 

When Nicole woke in the morning, she could feel Waverly stirring next to her. “Morning Waves,” she mumbled, not opening her eyes. 

 

“Mmm, morning.” Waverly’s voice was rough with sleep, and she made to snuggle closer before she sat up suddenly. 

 

“What time is it? I need to get up.” 

 

“Not yet. Come back,” Nicole urged, tugging her arm gently until she lay back down. 

 

They lay quietly for another five minutes, Nicole gently stroking the warm, soft skin of Waverly’s stomach, until she moved to sit up again. Nicole tightened her grip around her waist and said, “Don’t go. Stay here with me.” 

 

“Sorry babe, I have to get ready for training,” Waverly reminded her, disentangling herself and moving to the edge of the bed. 

 

“You could just ditch it and stay here,” Nicole suggested hopefully, but she already knew Waverly wouldn’t do that. 

 

“Nicole Haught, stickler for rules, telling me to blow off training?” Waverly teased, leaning over to tap her on the nose. 

 

“Some rules are made to be broken...” Nicole trailed off with a sigh as Waverly stood up and pulled on shorts and a shirt. 

 

“Stop pouting. Look, why don’t you meet us after training? Some of us are going to Shorty’s afterwards,” Waverly suggested. 

 

“Team bonding?” 

 

“Not really. Just come meet us.” 

 

“Fine,” Nicole grumbled, turning back and burying her face in the pillow. 

 

She heard the bedroom door open and a moment later, a soft thump as Calamity Jane jumped on the bed and immediately curled up on the warm sheets. Nicole reached out to rest her hand on her soft fur and said, “I’m glad someone wants to stay here.” 

 

At that, there was a rattling noise from the kitchen that sent Calamity off to investigate in case it was food, and Nicole called after her, “Fine then, traitor.” 

 

By the time she followed the cat to the kitchen, Waverly was just finishing breakfast. 

 

“Sorry, I didn’t know if you were getting up. There’s more in the pan, and there’s coffee in the pot,” she told her as she got up to wash her plate. She went to get ready as Nicole sat to eat breakfast, barely tasting what she was eating, already missing the closeness they’d shared the day before. 

 

She was still at the table when Waverly came back, dressed and ready to go, and her outfit caught Nicole’s eye. 

 

“Is that a new shirt?” she asked. 

 

“Oh, yeah. Malice brought it for me on Friday. It’s our training kit.” Waverly twirled so Nicole could see the Team Canada logo on the front and her name and number emblazoned across the back. 

 

“Looks good,” Nicole smiled, trying the ignore stab of jealousy she felt at the sudden reminder of what she was missing. 

 

“I like it. Malice will be here soon to pick me up so I’m going to head out. I’ll call you later so you can come meet us?” “

 

Sure, do that. Have a good session. Make sure you kick some ass.” 

 

“I’ll try my best. See you later.” 

 

With a quick kiss on the cheek, Waverly was gone, the door slamming behind her. Nicole slowly finished her breakfast in silence, cleared away her dishes then sat heavily on the sofa with a loud exhale. The day stretched out in front of her, empty now that Waverly had left. She knew she should take advantage of the rare free time to do grocery shopping or get to the chores she put off during the week, but she allowed herself to sulk for a little longer. 

 

She eventually decided that a run might help, and she pushed herself faster and further than usual, as if she could outrun the unwelcome feelings of jealousy and resentment that had resurfaced. She did feel calmer and more like herself when she got home, although she spent the rest of the day with an eye on the time, waiting for Waverly’s call. 

 

Nicole waited until an hour after she knew the session had finished before calling Waverly. She answered after several rings, voice raised against the noise in the background, “Hey Nic.” 

 

“Hi. Are you in Shorty’s?” 

 

“We just got here. I was about to call you.” 

 

“Did you forget?” Nicole couldn’t help but ask. 

 

“No... I was waiting until we got here so you weren’t hanging around waiting for us.” 

 

“Okay. Do you want me to come now?” 

 

“Please do.” 

 

Nicole felt like she was about to gatecrash an event that she wasn’t really invited to, but she’d told Waverly that she would so she got ready and headed to the bar. 

 

The skaters weren’t hard to find once in Shorty’s; a large group, all in matching team hoodies and making plenty of noise. Nicole resisted the urge to turn and leave, instead walking over to the group. She spotted Waverly sitting between Malice and Wrath - my friends, she thought fleetingly - and reached the table before Waverly saw her. She stood awkwardly for a moment until Waverly noticed her and jumped up, greeting her with a kiss and ushering her to a seat. After a few greetings from the others the conversation soon turned back to the session they’d just had and their upcoming games. Nicole half-heartedly tried to join in but she didn’t really know what they were talking about and she soon lapsed into silence. 

 

She tried to focus on the conversation going on around her, especially what Waverly was saying, but it suddenly felt too much like all of those times at school and at the Academy, where the in-jokes passed her by and she was left on the outside. Abruptly she stood up from the table, and Waverly looked at her in surprise. 

 

“You okay?” she asked. 

 

“Yeah. Bathroom,” Nicole explained shortly. 

 

She bypassed the bathrooms and instead pushed through the double doors and into the cool air of the evening. Taking deep breaths as she leaned against the wall, she silently chastised herself for being childish. She knew that she had overreacted to the situation; no-one was deliberately excluding her, but still she was reluctant to go back inside. Sighing, she pulled out her phone and sent an apologetic text to Waverly, telling her she would explain later, then headed to her car. 

 

She sat for a moment, feeling guilty at leaving the way she had, but before she could do anything else, the passenger door opened and Waverly climbed in. 

 

“Waverly! Shit, you scared me,” Nicole exhaled sharply. 

 

“And you just ditched me. What’s going on?” she demanded. 

 

“I should have told you I was going. I just, I couldn’t stay.” 

 

“Why not? You don’t just walk out like that.” 

 

“I’m surprised you noticed,” Nicole bit out. 

 

Waverly’s expression went from confused to annoyed. “Wait, do you think I was ignoring you in there?” 

 

“You weren’t the only one.” Nicole resolutely refused to look at Waverly. 

 

“Seriously? And your response was to storm out, instead of just talking to me?” 

 

“I didn’t storm out,” Nicole muttered, just loud enough for Waverly to hear.

 

Waverly let out an exasperated huff and sat back in her seat. “I thought you were okay with this?” she asked quietly. 

 

Nicole replied quickly, “I am,” then at Waverly’s raised eyebrows, conceded, “I thought I was. I’m trying to be.” 

 

“Why is it difficult? Are you jealous that I’m playing?” she asked directly. 

 

Nicole contemplated her answer for a moment before responding. “I don’t think so, not really. I mean yeah, I’d like to have the chance to play, but it’s more that I don’t get to be a part of it with you, and with my friends.” 

 

“So you feel left out?” 

 

“It’s hard not to, seeing you all together.” 

 

“So what do we do? I thought I was doing the right thing by asking you here. Do you want nothing to do with it at all?” 

 

“I don’t want that. This is huge for you and I want you to enjoy it all without worrying about whether I feel left out.” 

 

“But you do feel left out. Is that all it is, or is something else bothering you?” 

 

“I guess I’ve been thinking, roller derby is what brought us together, something we’ve shared all along, what happens if we don’t have that?” Nicole finally gave voice to the concern that she had felt for weeks. 

 

Waverly turned to face her properly and asked, “Do you think derby is all we have? It’s never just been about that for me. When have I made you feel like that?” 

 

When Nicole just shook her head, Waverly persisted. “Really, I mean it. Have I ever made you think that? If I did, I never meant to.” 

 

“You didn’t. I just worried you’d get caught up in the whole World Cup thing and this would be, I don’t know, boring for you,” Nicole admitted. 

 

“Wow. Is that what you think of me, that I’d be fickle enough to just drop this when something else came along?” Waverly looked hurt and Nicole wanted to reach out to her, but her posture told her not to.

 

“I know you wouldn’t. I know this is all irrational too. I hate the feeling of being left out. So many times, from school, through college, to work, I’ve felt on the outside, fighting to get in. I thought I was past that but it hurt to feel like it was happening again.” 

 

A crease appeared between Waverly’s eyebrows as she frowned, and this time she reached across to take Nicole’s hand as she continued, “Derby has been the one place that I’ve never had to try to fit in, I just did. Now I feel like I could lose that too.” 

 

“You won’t, it’s all still here for you. Those people in there are still your friends and your teammates. And what about us? Don’t you fit with me?” 

 

Nicole ducked her head and focused on their interlinked hands in her lap. “More than anyone. I’m sorry I’m making this so hard.” 

 

“I don’t know what I can do to help?” 

 

“You don’t have to do anything. I just need to get over myself,” Nicole told her, with as much of a smile as she could muster. 

 

“It’s not as easy as that though, is it?” 

 

“No, but I will. You’re more important to me than all of this. I’m so proud of you for what you’re doing and I can’t wait to be trackside for every game.” Nicole hoped that Waverly knew that she meant every word. 

 

“You’re coming to the World Cup?” Waverly asked, surprised. 

 

“Of course I am. As if I’d miss my amazing girlfriend and some of my best friends being awesome. I’ll even make you a banner,” she promised with a laugh. 

 

“You’d better, after dealing with all of this,” Waverly teased, leaning over to pull her into a hug. 

 

When they separated, Waverly asked, “Are you ready to come back inside?”

 

“I think I’m just going to head home. You go back in.”

 

“Are you sure? Do you want me to come with you?”

 

“No, it’s fine. Go enjoy yourself, you deserve it. Give me a call if you need a ride later though, okay?”

 

“Okay. I’ll see you later.” With a final kiss, Waverly got out of the car and disappeared back inside the bar.

 

As she drove home after sharing her fears and finding only reassurance and understanding, Nicole felt lighter than she had in weeks.

 

**_Six months later_ **

 

“ _Lining up behind the jam line for Team Canada in their first World Cup game is number seventy seven, Riot Earp..._ ” 

 

From her uncomfortable spot on the floor close to the track, Nicole cheered as loudly as she could. Her stomach was in a knot and her palms felt clammy; she was more nervous that she ever was when she was actually playing. 

 

She was close enough to see that, although Waverly’s face was calm and focused, there was a slight tremble that betrayed her nerves. Nicole wanted to catch her eye, to be as reassuring as she could, but she didn’t want to disturb her focus either. While the skaters were still getting into position on front of her, Waverly had a quick glance around before her eyes settled on Nicole. In response to what Nicole hoped was an encouraging smile and a wave, Waverly grinned and quickly blew a kiss in her direction. 

 

When the first whistle blew moments later, Waverly was through the pack in seconds, spotting a tiny gap on the inside line that most skaters wouldn’t have attempted. So much for distracting her, Nicole thought as she watched her speed round the track and catch up to the pack to make a second pass. 

 

Nicole was surrounded by the skaters not playing in that game and some teammates that had travelled too, and she was immediately caught up in the action on track. They clapped and cheered every point but Nicole’s loudest support was reserved for Waverly. She felt like she lived every minute of the game through her, the adrenaline flowing even though she was only a spectator. She marvelled at how far she had progressed and how much she’d improved since the first time they’d faced off almost a year ago. 

 

Every time Waverly took a hit Nicole winced, and one particularly heavy shoulder check that sent Waverly crashing to the ground had Nicole on her feet, shouting. One of her friends tugged on her arm until she dropped back down onto the mat, and she pointed out, “She’s fine, okay? Look, she’s back up already.” 

 

Nicole smiled sheepishly and said, “Okay. I’ll try not to do that every time.” 

 

“I’ll tell Earp if you do,” she teased. 

 

Nicole managed to stay seated until the end of the game, when they all jumped up at the final whistle to celebrate a Team Canada victory. 

 

Nicole made her way back to the skaters’ area and she spotted the team straight away. Before she could head over, someone grabbed her from behind, wrapping their arms around her waist and stopping her in her tracks. She turned to find Waverly grinning broadly at her, closer to her height than usual thanks to her skates. 

 

“Nice shirt,” she said, tracing the 77 printed on the chest. 

 

“Well, how else to show I’m your number one fan? Apart from this.” Nicole leaned in for a kiss. 

 

“That’ll do it. I’m so glad you’re here, seeing you trackside really calmed me down at the start.” 

 

“You were awesome. I’ll be in that spot every game to cheer you on,” Nicole promised. 

 

Waverly pressed another kiss to her lips and whispered, “Thank you. I love you.” 

 

“Love you too, Riot Earp.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, commenting and kudos-ing! 
> 
> This story ended up being about more than just roller derby, thank you for sticking with it while I had no idea where it was going.
> 
> It ended up a bit autobiographical too - I met my partner through roller derby and we tried out for Team Scotland together. Thankfully we were not hotshots like WayHaught (although she’s definitely better than me) and we didn’t make it very far!
> 
> Thanks again for reading, pals. Feel free to give me a shout on Twitter @HaughtToScot :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, comments are always appreciated! Feel free to give me a shout on Twitter @HaughtToScot about this, WE, roller derby, #SwansForWynonna... anything!
> 
> Roller derby is a full contact sport played on roller skates. Games are split into jams, which last a maximum of two minutes. Each team has a maximum of five skaters on track in each jam; four blockers and one jammer. The jammer scores points by passing skaters from the other team; the blockers’ job is to stop the jammer. That is a very brief explanation of quite a complicated rule set, but enough to understand this. Skaters often choose a derby name to skate under, hence Riot Earp!


End file.
